What's that link for? It doesn't work.. (Or post the title of the video or some keywords so we can find it on Youtube.)

Im sorry

It is a youtube link for a band called the DAN BAND and it is a song called Private Dancer (tongue in cheek) they amuse me i hope that they amuse you

Think it says a lot more about certain farangs in thailand if you know some of the characters the book was based on . Fat Dave ex of Jools is Big Ron or whatever and he is pretty much nailed as his whole attitude and what he used to say.

I do know of at least 3 other characters in the book that have some basis in guy's who drank in Jools Bar (Fatso's) around 10 years ago.

If you take a look at the literature of books that do claim to offer insight into the industry ie the non-fiction works you do get a different picture

Travels in the Skin Trade by Jeremy Seabrook the social anthropologis

Patpong Sisters by Cleo Odzer

Sex Slaves - traficking of women in Asia by Louise Brown

The Thrid Sex by Richard Totman - not exactly about the same thing but does give some insight

etc

Thanks for an informative post.

I've read Bangkok 8 and a few other Thailand themed fiction books and just about given up on them. Too many have flat characters and the fact that they take place in Thailand is not enough to keep my interest.

Funny that LucyLui mentioned that Thai women are not allowed in the bars (other than employees, of course.) When I first arrived, some Thai female friends took me to a few gogos and even a ping pong show. They cannot go on their own and were curious to see what it was about and being with me they could get in. (I doubt they wanted their boyfriends to escort them.) Some places won't even let Thai men inside.

These women are obviously office workers to anyone that has been in Thailand or has reasonable eyesight. Of course, a few times a tourist would ask them, "How much?" While they are in a strip club, this does not make them fair game and the result of this question has been anything from a friend in tears to a beer being thrown at a "gentleman".

I had a friend at home that was a bartender in a strip club, so I had been before. Never was really keen to go then either, but my friend wanted someone to talk to and was buying drinks. Seems like there is more of a show in the West than the bored women swaying on poles here. The Patpong ping pong show was rather disturbing as I don't understand the appeal of the act (the part with razors was especially stomach-turning.)

Ball o string bit is bit off too. Here hold this and pull.

Seems like there is more of a show in the West than the bored women swaying on poles here.

Here they get more vigorous once they get hold of the other pole

isnt this tpic a no no here!

Great book..but more in tune with shaking up "long time" stayers and maybe not so much for 1'th timers...